Collapsible container carrier



March 25, 1958 A. P. WEISELBERG 2,328,047

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER CARRIER Filed Dec. 50, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l 48 32 Fig. 2 48 5 Annette R Weise/berg INVENTOR.. v

BY @MM March 25, 1958 A. P. WEISELBERG 2,328,047

' COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER CARRIER Filed Dec. 50, 1954 2- Sheets-Sheet 2 Anneff P. Weise/berg INVENTOR.

COLLAPSIBLE CONTAINER CARRIER Annette P. Weiselberg, Glens Falls, N. Y.

Application December 30, 1954, Serial No. 478,569

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-116) This invention generally relatesto a container carrier and more specifically provides improved and novel construction in a collapsible container carrier that is constructed of fibrous sheet material such as paperboard for receiving and positioning a plurality of small containers or other articles, thereby facilitating the handling of such containers or articles.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible container carrier constructed of inexpensive material which may be supplied in a grocery store or the like for permitting the customer to utilize the container carrier while shopping wherein the carrier is provided with a plurality of precut openings for receiving a plurality and variety of small containers or articles so that the containers-and articles are easily retained in the container for ease of handling and subsequent storage. 7

Another object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible container carrier having various shapes and sizes of pre-cut openings therein. for receiving various shapes and sizes of articles or containers. A further object of the present invention is to provide a collapsible container carrier that may be utilized for various purposes but is especially adapted to carry articles of similar size wherein a plurality of such articles will be positioned in the carrier, thereby inducing multiple sales and also providing an easily handled device.

Another important object of. the present invention is to provide a collapsible carrying device which may be constructed of any inexpensive andreadily obtainable material such asplastics, paperboard, cardboard, or the like, thereby rendering the device readily adaptable for commercial use by the printing of advertising indicia thereon and which will be attractive in appearance, saving in space, convenient, simple in construction, and adapted for use in carrying, storage and sales of various articles or containers. I

These, together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which: I 1

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the collapsible container carrier of the present invention; I

' Figure 2 is a transversgvertical sectional view taken substantially upon a transverse center line of the construction of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the carrier of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing another modified form of the carrier of the present invention;

Figure 5 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along a transverse center line of the construction of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing along the longitudinal States Pat fO containers 42. *When a larger diameter container is in- Patented Mar. 25, 1958 center line of the construction of Figure 3 and showing the details of construction thereof;

Figure 7 is a fragmental top plan view showing another modified form of pre-cut opening which may be formed in the container carrier of the other figures of the drawing.

Referring now specifically to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, it will be seen that the numeral 10 generally designates the collapsible carrier of the present invention including an elongated receptacle generally designated by the numeral 12 and including a flat bottom member 14 having integral and upstanding side members 16 and 18 which are provided with an integral and inwardly extending flat top surface 20 and 22. The top surface 20 terminates at its inner edge substantially at a point above the center of the bottom 14 and turns downwardly as indicated by the numeral 24 which designates a side member 24 which is perpendicular to the upper surface 20. The inner side member 24 terminates in an outwardly extending bottom member 26 which overlies and engages the upper surface of the bottom 14 and underlies the flat upper surface 20 in spaced relation thereto. The other upper surface terminates in an upstanding member 28 in perpendicular relation to the upper surface 22 which is reversely bent as indicated by the numeral 38 and extends downwardly alongside the upwardly extending portion 28 and alongside the side member 24 as designated by the numeral 32. At the bottom of the portion 32, the portion 32 extends outwardly toward the side member 18 as designated by the numeral 34 and is positioned against the upper surface of the bottom 14 and in underlying and spaced relation to the upper surface 22. In assembling the device, the outwardly extendingportions or flaps 26 and 34 are glued to the upper surface of the bottom 14 with the members 24 and 32 being disposed centrally in the bottom 14. The upstanding portion 28, the reverse bend 30 and the portion of the member 32 above the upper surfaces 20 and 22 form a handle having openings 36 therein formed by struckout tabs 38 which form a handle for carrying the carrier 10. While it is illustrated that both flaps 26 and 34 are glued to the bottom 14, it will be understood that either member may be glued or neither member may be glued as desired, depending upon the characteristics of the material from which the carrier 10 is formed.

In each of the upper surfaces 20 and 22, a plurality of openings 40 are formed for receiving a plurality of containers 42. Each of the openings 40 is formed by a plurality of diametric cut lines 44 which terminate in a circular fold line 46, thereby defining generally triangular portions 48 which will be forced and bent inwardly by the insertion of a container 42. The outer ends of the diametric cut lines 44 are provided with angularly extending cut lines 50 which terminate in a second circular fold line 52 wherein containers 42 of varying diameters may be inserted in the openings 40. When containers 42 are inserted of a smaller diameter, the cut lines 44 and the triangular members 48 will be forced inwardly to the fold line 46 wherein the triangular mem bers 48 generally engage against the side surfaces of the serted therein, the cut line 44 as well as the angular cut line 50 will be forced inwardly and the corresponding enlargement of the triangular portion 48 will permit insertion of the larger container and the portions 48 will engage the side surfaces thereof for frictionally binding the containers therein.

Referring now specifically to Figures 3 and 6, it will be seen that the numeral 54 generally indicates a modified form of container carrier of the present invention. This form of the invention generally includes a bottom member 56, a side member 58 integrally formed there with, a topmember'ioan'd another side member 62 all formed integrally-"with the bottom member 56. grally formed to one edge .of the bottom member 56 is an elongated vertically upstanding member 64 which projects above thefiat'top;surface--60 and is securedto the side edge 62, thereby"forming'a -handlejfor the ;carrier 54. Inthe top surface'fitl a plurality of openings 66 are provided-for receiving containers'and each of' the openings 66 is formed by outlines-68 along "free sides of a rectangular portion 70 wherein the rectangular por tion 70 is joined to the top surface'6'0 by 'afold line 72, thereby permitting insertion of a container into the opening6 6-wherein the cut-out portion 70 will be forced inwardly and will-engage the side surface of the container for retaining the containerwithin'the carrier'54. As in the device of FigureslandfiZ, the device of Figures 3 and 4-is provided with openendsand is formed of a continuous sheet of material'such as cardboard orthelike.

Now referringspecificallyto Figures 4 and 5, it will beseen that the numeral '74 indicates another form of the-present invention generally similar in construction to-the "form of the invention'illustrated in Figures land 2. This form of-the invention includes a bottom-member 76, side ''members 78 and 80 extending vertically therefromat opposite edges and terminating in horizontal top surfacesfiZ and 84. It'isnotedthatthe surface 82 is-above'the surface 84-for receiving containers of varying'height. The surface *82 terminates on its inner edge in a downturned member 36 which'tenninates at its'lower edge'in an outwardly extendingflap 88 which may be securedto the upper'surface-of the bottom 76. The uppersurface'84 terminates at its inner edge in an upturned member 90 which is reversely bent at 92 and extends downwardly in portion 94'to the upper surface ofthe bottom 76 and extends outwardly with a flap 96 which is secured to the top-surface of the bottom member 7 6.

The top surfaces 82 and'84are provided with a plus rality of openings 8 defined by a pair of diagonal and intersecting cut lines 109 wherein the rectangular opening 98 is defined by a fold line 102. The handle portion formed by thereverse bend 92 is provided with an open ing 102 formed by struckoutpads 104 for providinga finger-grip for the carrier 74. By insertion of a container 1% into the openings 98,'the portions 108 formed bythe cut lines 100 will be forced inwardly for gripping the container 106-in the obvious manner.

Referring specifically to Figure 7, it will be seen that a modified form of'opening'is illustrated-which may be utilized in any of thecarriers of'the'present invention. In this form 'of the invention, an opening generally defined by the numeral 110 is circumscribed by a circular fold line 112 and a plurality-of'spiral cut lines 114 which terminate and intersect at thecenter 116 of the fold line 112 wherein a container'may beinserted into the opening Intepecially utilized in plural sales of similar articles and may be utilized -by-the -customer-"whiie shopping for various small articles, thereby greatly facilitating the handling of such articles.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and ..changes will readily occur to those skilledin. theart, ,it is not desired to limit the invention' to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly all suitable .mo'difications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended'claim.

What is claimed asnew is ,asfollows:

A carrier of one piece construction comprising a flat rectangular bottom, an upstanding side wall on each side edge of said bottom, an inwardly extending top on the upper edge of each side wall, said side walls being parallel and perpendicular tothe bottom "andttops, the inner edge of one top, having a partition wall depending therefrom, fthe l-oweren'd o'f 'saidpartition wall havingan out wardly extending tb'ottom member :overlying' and secured to ;-the upper -surfaceof said bottom, the'inner edge of the "other of saidtops "havin'gan upstandingrmeniber, the upper edge of the upstanding memberbein'g .reversely bent and provided -wi'th' *a depending 1 member disposed alongside the inpst'anding inernber'and "extending 'below the itops "al'ong'sidethe partition "wall, the lower end of the depending member having an outwardly extending bottom member'overlyingandisecuredto the upper surface "of ;said bottom, :sa'id upstanding member and the portion of'the depending member disposed 'alon'gside'th'e same havingstruckout'pairs of tabs forming finger'receiving "openings "thereby forming a "handle "for the carrier, said pairs of tabs extending to one side Of'tl16.'h3l'ldl6 for maintaining "the 'members forming the handle and the openings therein in aligned relation, each of said tops having a-plura lity-'of 'article receiving and gripping means, eachof-s'aid means including a pair of concentric circular score "linesptheyarea defined by'the inner score line hav'rng aipluralityof radial "cut lines for-permitting the insertion of "articles having a diameter'no larger than-the fdiameter of the inner 'score line, the area between 'the concentric score lines having a plurality of angularlyextending 'cut'lines extending thereacross, said angularly extending cut lines forming 'angular continuations of the rjadial cut lines for permitting insertion of articles havin'g a diameter no larger than the diameter of the outer'score lineysaid outwardly extending bottom members underlyinga major, portion of the area defined by the concentric score, lines whereby the articles will engage the fllpIieP'SllIfaCe of 'the 'outwardly extending -bottom membersywhen the articles are forced inwardly for urging the material between "the cutlines inwardly for 110 and the cut-out'pieces 118 will'be forced inwardly V folding along one of said score linesith'e material forced inwardly *by "the article serving to 'frictionally grip the article for retaining -the articleinthe "carrier.

; Referencesfiited m the file of this patent "UNITED .sfrArrEs PATENTS 827,961 7 Carrier Aug. 7, 1906 2,150,461 *Sandell Mar. 14, 1939 2,371,312 Potter =Mar. 13, 1945 2576.731 Klein Apr. 27, 1954 

